Nek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nek
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Nek in concerto a Assago
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Filippo Neviani |
| Born | 6 January 1972 Sassuolo, Modena, Italy |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Filippo Neviani (born on January 6, 1972), known by his stage name Nek, is a famous Italian singer, songwriter, and musician. Nek is very popular in Italy and also in countries where Spanish is spoken. He has released most of his albums in both Italian and Spanish.
Nek first became known around the world in 1997. He took part in the Sanremo Music Festival, a big music competition in Italy. Even though he didn't win, his song "Laura non c'è" (which means "Laura isn't here") became a huge hit. This song helped him become famous in Europe and Latin America. His fourth album, Lei, gli amici e tutto il resto, also sold millions of copies. It was his first album to be recorded in Spanish too.
Many years later, in 2015, Nek returned to the Sanremo stage. He performed the song "Fatti avanti amore" and came in second place. Throughout his career, Nek has released thirteen studio albums and forty-eight singles. Some of his well-known songs include "Sei solo tu" and "Lascia che io sia". It is reported that he has sold over 10 million records worldwide.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and First Music Steps (1972–1991)
Filippo Neviani was born on January 6, 1972, in Sassuolo, a town in Italy. He started playing musical instruments like drums, bass, and guitar when he was just nine years old. He really liked country musicians such as John Denver and later, Sting.
In the late 1980s, Nek began to find his own musical style. He played in small clubs with his country music band called "Winchester." Later, he became more known in the Bologna area with his soft-rock band, "White Lady." In 1991, he started his solo career. He earned second place at the Castrocaro Music Festival, which was a great chance for new artists to get noticed.
Rising to Fame (1992–1999)
Nek started using his stage name in 1992 when his first album, Nek, was released. It was put out by a famous record company called Fonit Cetra. In 1993, he took part in the Sanremo Music Festival again. He finished third in the Newcomers section with his song "In te," which talked about a serious topic. This song was also the title of his second album.
In the summer of 1994, Nek released his third album, Calore umano. He also came second at the Festival Italiano with his song "Angeli nel ghetto." In the same year, he received his first big award, the European Award, for being the best young Italian pop artist.
Nek then signed a contract with WEA, which is now Warner Music Group. In 1996, his fourth album, Lei, gli amici e tutto il resto, was released and did quite well. In 1997, he returned to the Sanremo Music Festival with "Laura non c'è." Even though it didn't win, it became the biggest hit from that year's festival.
The huge success of "Laura non c'è" made the album Lei, gli amici e tutto il resto (which was re-released) sell incredibly well. It sold over 600,000 copies in Italy alone. That same year, Nek also performed at the Festivalbar with the song "Sei grande." He also started to become popular in Europe. The Spanish version of his album was released and sold many copies in Spain and France. By August 1998, Nek received an award from the IFPI because his album had sold over a million copies in Europe.
His music also became popular in countries like Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, and Germany. Nek became a major international artist when his album was released across Latin America. In countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, "Laura no está" (the Spanish version) became a hit song. Both the song and album earned Gold awards there.
In Spain, he was nominated for a "Best New Artist" award. His album was also nominated at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in 1999. Nek explained that changing his musical style from traditional Italian pop to a more Anglo pop-rock sound helped him achieve this sudden success.
Nek's fifth album, In due, came out in June 1998. It was released at the same time in Europe, Latin America, and Japan. The song "Se io non-avessi te" quickly became a top seller and was played a lot on the radio for over four months. For this, he received the Festivalbar "Radio" award. The album sold very well in Italy, Spain, and other parts of Europe. In 1999, he toured Italy, Europe, and Latin America, and his concerts were very popular.
Continued Success (2000–2007)
Nek's sixth album, La vita è, was released worldwide on June 2, 2000. It reached number eight on the charts in Italy and number seven in Switzerland. Two years later, on May 24, 2002, his seventh album, Le cose da difendere, was released globally. It reached number four in Italy and stayed in the top five for four weeks.
On October 10, 2003, Nek released his first collection of greatest hits, The Best of Nek: L'anno zero. This album celebrated his successful 10 years in music. It included popular songs from his previous seven albums, plus two new songs: "Almeno stavolta" and "L'anno zero." The album sold over 300,000 copies in Italy and stayed on the charts for 40 weeks. The song "Almeno stavolta" was very popular, reaching number five on the charts. In 2004, he went on a tour across Europe and Latin America.
On May 13, 2005, his eighth studio album, Una parte di me, was released. This album reached number three in Italy and Switzerland. It stayed on the Italian charts for over 50 weeks and sold more than 200,000 copies. On July 2, Nek performed at the Live 8 benefit concert. In November, he started a tour to promote his new album, with sold-out shows in major Italian cities.
The album also featured the hit single "Lascia che io sia...", which helped Nek win that year's Festivalbar award. The song reached number two on the charts and was one of Italy's top ten best-selling singles of the year. In the summer of 2007, Nek re-recorded the song "Para ti sería..." (the Spanish version of his 2005 hit) with the Spanish band "El Sueño de Morfeo." This song became number one in the Spanish download charts.
On November 23, 2006, Nek released his ninth album, Nella stanza 26 (in Spanish: En el cuarto 26). It reached number five in Italy and Switzerland and sold over 200,000 copies. It included the hit single "Instabile." In 2007, Nek received the Lunezia "Poesia del Rock" award for his song "Nella stanza 26."
New Directions and Career Milestones (2008–2012)
In 2008, Nek recorded a duet of "Walking Away" with British artist Craig David. This song was included in Craig David's Greatest Hits album.
On January 30, 2009, Nek released Un'altra direzione, his tenth album. It had 12 new songs plus "Walking Away." This was his first album to reach the top of the album charts and sold over 70,000 copies. The Spanish version of the main song, "La voglia che non-vorrei," was released two months later, followed by the album Nuevas direcciones. Nek also joined a group of artists called Artisti Uniti to record a charity song, "Domani 21/04.09." This song helped victims of the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.
Greatest Hits 1992–2010: E da qui was released on November 16, 2010. It was a collection of Nek's songs from his 20-year career. It also included three new songs: "E da qui," "Vulnerabile," and "È con te," plus three live songs from his 2010 Summer Tour. The album stayed on the charts for over 64 weeks. On March 28, Nek performed two songs at the 25th anniversary of the World Youth Day in Vatican City.
In October 2011, Nek sang a duet with L'Aura on her song "Eclissi del cuore." This was the Italian version of the 80s hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. It became a single and reached number five on the Italian Singles Chart. In July, Nek performed at a humanitarian concert in Assisi. On July 25, 2012, he performed at another big humanitarian concert in Bologna.
Recent Albums and Awards (2013–2020)
On April 16, 2013, Nek released his eleventh studio album, titled Filippo Neviani. This album reached number two on the music charts. Nek played all the instruments on the album himself. The album followed the hit single "Congiunzione Astrale," released in March 2013. The next single, "La metà di niente," was also re-recorded in Spanish as "La Mitad de Nada" with Sergio Dalma. In 2014, Nek received the Lunezia award for this album, recognizing its musical and literary value.
Nek performed at several concerts in 2014, including the RadioItalia Live concert in Milan and a charity concert in Assisi. He also performed at the Reventon Music Festival in Los Angeles and the La Mercè Festival in Barcelona. However, in October, Nek had to cancel his European Tour due to vocal cord issues. He needed to rest his voice for two months to avoid surgery.
In 2014, Nek received the "Tributo ad Augusto" award. This award is given each year to an artist who stands out for their artistic and social work. In March, Nek helped present the 17th Magna Grecia Awards, which celebrate the culture and art of Magna Grecia. In September, he performed at a humanitarian football match in Rome.
In February 2015, Nek participated in the 65th Sanremo Music Festival. His song "Fatti avanti amore" earned him second place. Although he didn't win the main competition, he won other awards. He won "Best Cover" for his performance of "Se telefonando" by Mina. His song "Fatti avanti amore" also won three other awards: "Best Arrangement" from the festival orchestra, the "Lucio Dalla" award from news and TV, and the "Sempre più Sanremo" radio award for being the most popular song on the radio. On March 4, Nek released his twelfth studio album, Prima di parlare, followed by a national tour. Both the album and its singles were very successful.
In 2016, Nek was a coach on the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi. In May, his single "Uno di questi giorni" was released and became very popular. In July, he performed at the Reventon festival in Los Angeles, which celebrates Latin American music. In October, he performed at the "Football for Peace" event in Rome, organized by Pope Francis.
On October 14, his thirteenth studio album, Unici, was released. He then went on a nationwide tour in 2017, including his first concert at the famous Verona Arena.
30 Years of Music (2021–Present)
Nek continued his musical journey. In 2024, he competed in the Sanremo Music Festival 2024 alongside Francesco Renga with their song "Pazzo di te."
Personal life
Nek married Patrizia Vacondio on September 2, 2006. They have a daughter named Beatrice Maria, who was born on September 12, 2010. Nek is a practicing Catholic.
Discography
- Nek (1992)
- In te (1993)
- Calore umano (1994)
- Lei, gli amici e tutto il resto (1996)
- In due (1998)
- La vita è (2000)
- Le cose da difendere (2002)
- Una parte di me (2005)
- Nella stanza 26 (2006)
- Un'altra direzione (2009)
- Filippo Neviani (2013)
- Prima di parlare (2015)
- Unici (2016)
- Il mio gioco preferito - prima Parte (2019)
- Il mio gioco preferito - seconda parte (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Nek para niños
